


Greater than Us

by PigeonProphet



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Almost..., Also starring all the other royal siblings, Alternate Universe, Arranged Marriage, But also, Courtly intrigue, Everyone Is Gay, Getting Together, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Leokumi is very much a sidepairing, Multi, POV Multiple, along with a bunch of other characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-09
Updated: 2017-12-13
Packaged: 2018-07-22 13:02:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7440298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PigeonProphet/pseuds/PigeonProphet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>“They’re selling teacups with your and Prince Leo’s faces on them down in the streets. I don’t think there’s anyone in this city who wouldn’t recognize you.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Teacups. Corrin feels a shudder run down her spine.</em>
</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>The Invisible Kingdom doesn't exist. Corrin and Kamui are twins and grow up in Hoshido.<br/>To improve relations between their countries, Princess Corrin of Hoshido and Prince Leo of Nohr are to be publicly engaged. Corrin is furious, Kamui wrangles with his own conscience, and Niles is plotting. Nothing goes as planned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Corrin Contemplates Jumping out of a Moving Carriage

Even at night, the streets of Cyrkensia are alight and full of people. Under different circumstances, Corrin would be nagging Kaze to let her out of of the carriage. Under different circumstances, he might have caved - Kaze takes his duties as her retainer very seriously, but he is weak to her pleading. They could be out there in the street, mingling with the common folk and browsing through the market stalls. She'd talk Kaze into trying on one of those silly, foreign looking masks and they'd both laugh.

The circumstances aren't different. She's stuck here in this tiny carriage, headed to meet her future husband, and she is furious.

The people outside carry on with their business, unaware of her inner turmoil. Corrin wonders how many of them have traveled here for the ceremony. Now and then, she can spot someone in Hoshidan garb passing through the masses. She can't make out any Nohrians, but she's not sure what she's looking for either. Black robes, maybe, sinister smiles.

Corrin lets the thick curtain fall back back in place and the people outside the carriage disappear. Nobody pays them any mind. Why would they - the princess isn't supposed to arrive for another ten days. Maybe she should poke her head out the window, shout really loudly. The subsequent chaos would delay them for at least another hour. Potentially being smothered by the curious masses almost seems worth it.

She let's herself sink back against the backrest. Across from her, Kaze is watching her with a troubled expression, but remains still. This isn't something he can protect her from. They both know it.

 

\----

 

The mood in the Great Hall is beyond awkward. Kamui shuffles on his feet, trying to keep his legs from falling asleep, and the sound travels across the entire room, cutting through the dead silence. A few heads turn to look at him. He pretends not to notice and studies the carpet instead. It's red, very expensive-looking. The youngest Nohrian, the one with the pigtails, fails to stifle a giggle, then the silence resumes.

Seven royals and a dozen retainers and servants ought to make more noise than that, or any noise at all, really, but nobody's even moving. They're just standing there, across from each other in two neat lines, waiting. Kamui risks a glance at Hinoka to his right. She seems just as uncomfortable with the situation as he is.

The whole family is currently experiencing varying shades of discomfort, Kamui thinks and tries not to sigh. Sakura, standing on his other side, looks as if she wants to sink into the ground and disappear, despite her best efforts. Receptions have never been her thing, with all the attention and formalities, but this tension must be torture to her. Then there's Takumi, who's handling being in the same room as half the Nohrian royal family about as well as one would expect. Kamui wonders if that glare is ever coming off his face again. Maybe it'll just stay there permanently.

Ryouma and their parents are not present, busy attending negotiations with King Garon, but considering their task is to unravel centuries of conflict and tensions between two entire countries, all while reportedly facing a vocal opposition, their discomfort is guaranteed.

Corrin isn't here either, not yet, but Kamui knows she must be feeling beyond uncomfortable right now. A sharp pang of guilt hits him at the thought.

"This is boring," a high voice cuts through the silence, and Kamui has never been so happy to hear someone whine. It's the girl with the pigtails - Princess Elise, he remembers - who's puffing out her cheeks in annoyance. Every pair of eyes in the room is on her now, but she doesn't seem to care.

"We're pretty close to the center of the city," answers her older sister patiently. "They have to pass through lots of busy streets. They'll be here any minute." Elise doesn't look entirely convinced, but she shuts up. Kamui wouldn't argue with Princess Camilla either. The woman somehow manages to look as intimidating as she looks elegant; like, if necessary, she could pull out a battle axe from under her gown and cut down the entire hall.

Between them, Prince Leo remains silent, his expression unreadable. Kamui has been watching him intently ever since he entered the room, looking for a hint of emotion - reluctance, maybe anger - to no avail. The Prince keeps his features entirely blank and Kamui learns nothing, except, well - Prince Leo, with his blond hair and sharp eyes, happens to be beautiful. He doesn't think his sister will care though.

With a sharp creak hat sounds almost deafening amidst the silence, the double door across the hall flies open and the entire room collectively flinches as Corrin steps in, shoulders squared as if she is heading into battle. Kamui can see Kaze hurrying after her, looking slightly panicked, but Corrin is already marching across the hall. She comes to a halt a few steps before the Nohrian siblings and gives a stiff bow. "Princess Corrin of Hoshido. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

It ought to look ridiculous, this tiny princess standing there with her head held high, looking ready to take on the entire Nohrian family if must be, but Corrin is all fury and determination and sharp red eyes. The entire room has gone still.

Prince Leo is the first to catch himself. He steps forward and takes Corrin's hand with a practiced bow. His features are once again carefully blank when he introduces himself and leans down to kiss her knuckles.

In a perfect world, time would slow down, and Kamui would witness his sister's eyes light up. The pair would smile at each other in amazement. Maybe some violins would start playing a romantic sonata in the background.

Nothing happens. The two royals pull back, his expression guarded, hers openly hostile, then Corrin turns away as Princess Camilla addresses her with an elegant bow and a piercing smile.

This is going to be a long night.

 

\----

 

"-And then you'll have to visit the observatory! It's way up in that huuuge tower, and it's so pretty at night. Leo loves it too! Oh, you could go there together! I bet that'd be so romantic." The little princess has been rambling for at least half an hour, her pigtails jumping up and down with every animated gesture. Corrin doesn't have it in her to brush her off. Honestly, she might find her endearing under different circumstances, but half of her chatter involves her older brother, a subject Corrin would rather avoid right now.

For the most part, she has been doing a stellar job of avoiding Prince Leo, although it might be a shared effort. Somehow, the prince is always standing at a safe distance at the other end of the room, wrapped up in a conversation with another Nohrian.

"- The food! I can't wait to see how you'll like Nohrian cuisine. You'll also have to introduce us to Hoshidan cooking of course! Leo can be picky, but-" She cuts herself off with a huge yawn, then giggles. "All the excitement got me all worn out."

"We really should be heading back to our chambers," Princess Camilla cuts in with a sweet smile, appearing behind Corrin out of nowhere and nearly scaring her to death. "We'll still have plenty of time to get to know each other before the ceremony, after all."

"Five days are hardly a long time to get to know someone you're supposed to spend the rest of your life with." The words sound more bitter than planned, but she stands her ground. She may be stuck here, but there's no reason to play nice.

"Then we better make good use of it," the woman shoots back with another sweet smile and a tone of finality to her voice, and Corrin is left without a comeback. "You're a spirited young woman, Princess. Let's make sure we get along nicely." With that, she is off, a sway in her step as she goes to bid farewell to the other attendees. Corrin finds herself staring after her wordlessly and, for the first time since she arrived, notices the small figure trailing behind her. The blue-haired girl shoots her a cold glare, then she continues trailing after her master. A shiver runs down Corrin's spine.

"She's just being protective. I'm sure she'll warm up to you in no time!"

It must be nice to have Elise's boundless optimism.

With a last smile, the princess follows her older sister, and Corrin is left alone with her thoughts as she watches Princess Camilla exchange formalities with a nervous-looking Hinoka. The quiet only lasts briefly though, then she hears someone pointedly clear their throat behind her. It's the last person she wants to see right now.

"I will be heading to my chambers as well. It was a pleasure to finally meet you, Princess Corrin." The words sound stiff and Prince Leo's expression is still exasperatingly collected. He must have realized by now how little she wants to be here. All the glaring isn't exactly subtle. Still, he doesn't seem fazed at all. Maybe he thinks it doesn't matter how she feels about the situation.

He is right, of course.

She doesn't dignify him with an answer, only gives a curt nod. They stare at each other for a moment, brown eyes meeting red, and he's the first to look away. Corrin counts that as a win - a small consolation in the face of the disaster the next few days are shaping up to be.

"We- we really should talk. Tomorrow, I mean," the prince adds. The words sounds somewhat mumbled, and Corrin is caught off guard. Prince Leo still isn't meeting her eyes, but there's something in his face; nervousness perhaps, discomfort.

Maybe he is just as unhappy about this as she is.

Before she can draw any definite conclusions, or, Gods forbid, feel sympathy for the guy, he has schooled his features back into neutrality. "I should get going. I hope you have a pleasant rest, Princess."

The three Nohrians leave the hall together, looking formidable in their black and golden formal wear. Most of their retinue follow suit. It's a small group. Just like them, they've brought few retainers as a gesture of goodwill. This engagement is meant to be a symbol of peace and unity, after all. There's no need for armed guards.

A few servants stay back to help carry away the empty glasses and trays of appetizers. It's only now Corrin realizes there was food. Too wrapped up her anger, she hasn't had a single bite. What a sad night.

Takumi is the first to join her, looking both sullen and worn out, though the former is hardly new for him. They stand there in silence for a minute, glaring at the empty doorway. Takumi speaks first.

"They look stuck-up, all of them."

"I think Prince Leo might actually have a stick up his ass. Did you see the way he carries himself?"

"How much time does he spend on his hair each day? Two hours?"

"At least three. Come on, he's wearing a tiara."

"I'm pretty sure that's not a tiara. And anyway, it looks fine, doesn't it?" Kamui cuts in. His tone is pointedly mellow, conciliatory. It's familiar from countless resolved arguments in the past, though for once, Takumi and Corrin aren't bickering with each other. They have a common enemy now. Corrin shoots her twin a glare, venom in her eyes, and he flinches.

"...He still looks like an arrogant prick," Takumi persists, if a bit weakly.

"And did you see Princess Camilla's smile? I think she's plotting to kill me," Corirn jumps back in, and they're at it again.

 

\----

 

It's Sakura who finally shuts them down. "We hardly know them. We shouldn't be so quick to judge," she says, quiet but resolute, and that's that.

They decide to retire to their chambers as well, and Kamui watches his siblings leave, one by one. Hinoka's the first to go, looking tired and all too ready to get out of her formalwear. Certain expectations come with being the oldest royal present, and they usually involve courtesies and grand diplomatic gestures - not Hinoka's areas of expertise. Normally, Ryouma would be with them, but Ryouma is a two-day ride away, arguing over trade routes and import taxes with King Garon and the Nohrian Crown Prince. For the next few days, they're on their own.

Takumi follows soon after, stomping out the door, still glaring. Kamui resigns himself to the fact that the glare isn't coming off for at least the rest of their stay. Still, Takumi hasn't started a single fight or insulted any Nohrian royals to the point of single-handedly sparking a political crisis, so really, they ought to be proud of him.

"It'll work out somehow, you know." Sakura squeezes his hand with a warm smile, already looking better now that the crowd is thinning out. It's a nice sentiment, but Kamui isn't sure if he believes it, isn't even sure if Sakura does. Knowing her, she might just be trying to cheer him up.

"Sure it will," he answers and ruffles through her hair. She needs the reassurance just as much as him.

When Sakura's gone, it's only him and Corrin left, safe for the few servants still going about their business. They stare at each other, silently.

People are always asking them what it's like to have a twin, if there's some kind of telepathic connection between them, some magical bond. If they're feeling particularly mischievous, they nod and start finishing each other's sentences for the rest of the conversation. It's a well-practiced routine, always good for a few laughs, but all pretend. The truth is a lot less exciting: They simply know each other very well. Kamui has spent so much time with his sister, he knows her every gesture, every frown or false smile.

It comes to bite him in the ass now, when he can see the frustration in the rigid curve of her spine, the anxiety in her clenched fists, and the anger in her eyes. _Is this what you wanted_ , they say, _are you happy now._

"I'm going to bed as well," she says. "You should get some sleep too."

Then she's out the door, and Kamui feels himself deflate. There's one thing she is right about: He could use some rest. But sleep will inevitably bring the start of a new day and new troubles, when really, he just got done with today.

There's a glass door leading out to a wide balcony at the end of the room. The chill of the night air hits him as soon as he steps out, and although it's summer, it's cool enough to help him clear his head. Before him, the streets of Cyrkensia fan out until they reach the horizon. There's a distant hum of of music and laughter in the air. The estate they're staying at is in the heart of the city, and just a few streets away, the illuminated glass dome of the Grand Opera House stands out brightly against the night sky, outshining even the moon. In ten days, his sister will be standing on that stage, celebrating her engagement to a Nohrian prince, a symbol of a cause much greater than them.

A rustle and the faintest flash of silver and blue in the corner of his eye snaps Kamui out of his thoughts, but when he turns, there is no one there, just the empty doorway leading back into the hall. He rubs his eyes and suppresses a yawn. Maybe the tiredness really is getting to him. With one last glance back at the opera house, Kamui decides to head back to his chambers.

He really does need the rest. It's going to be an eventful week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first fic and my first attempt at writing in a long time. Plus, English isn't my first language, so any kind of feedback or constructive critisism is greatly appreciated.
> 
> Seeing as I have quite a lot planned for this story, including all kinds of sideplots and hijinks, it might be a bit too ambitious for a first project, but well... it's been tons of fun writing this, and that's what really counts, right?
> 
> I don't have any kind of update schedule, or any clue how frequently I'll be posting new chapters. Sorry 'bout that. Life's busy right now.


	2. Takumi makes a great sacrifice

"Rise and shine, Little Lord!"

Kamui flinches as the scorching sunlight hits his closed eyelids. He tries to bury himself deeper into the bedsheets, but they're immediately torn from his grasp.

"I thought we agreed that you'll stop barging into my room first thing in the morning."

The purple-haired mage standing at his bedside grins. He doesn't actually see the grin, his sight still blurry with sleep, but he knows it's there. Orochi always has some sort of mischievous grin or smirk on her lips.

"We never agreed. You just tried to convince me, and I decided to ignore you." She pulls the pillow out from under his head for good measure, then seemingly decides she's done enough damage for now and saunters over to the window. "Besides, I've seen you grow up. There's no way you can embarrass yourself more than you already have."

Kamui groans. Sadly enough, she is right. As his mother's retainer, Orochi has been around for a considerable part of his childhood and all the awkward phases following it, watching over him and Corrin protectively and never wasting an opportunity to tease. He should have known what awaited him when his mother offered to send the diviner with him to Cyrkensia. That's what he gets for not having a retainer of his own.

"Come on, sleepyhead! You've got business to attend to," she urges him in a voice way too loud and cheerful for the early hour. "We've got some early arrivals to greet downstairs."

It takes him a minute to process her words. "Representatives? From the tribes? Why would they be here already?" He tries to rub the sleep out of his eyes, not very successfully. His surroundings remain blurry.

"Maybe they're planning to do some sightseeing before the ceremony? Or maybe they want to use the opportunity to scurry favor with you and the Nohrians. Get ready to be pestered by a bunch of sleazy diplomats," she teases, watching the grounds below intently. "Most likely though, they just didn't want to risk being late. Most of them are arriving by ship just like us, and the sea can get stormy."

"This really _is_ bringing the nations together," Kamui murmurs, more to himself than to the mage. Despite everything, this plan might actually do some good.

Some people would beg to differ, of course.

"You should talk to your sister, you know." Orochi's looking at him now, eyes cutting. His expression must betray his thoughts, because she soon huffs and rolls her eyes. "Fine, be stubborn about it."

"She's the one that's being stubborn," he mutters. He doesn't care if he sounds like a petulant child. It's not like talking would magically resolve their differences. They talked plenty back home. Corrin just doesn't want to _listen_.

A bundle of clothes thrown at his face puts a quick end to his brooding. "Get dressed. You've got people to greet." Kamui tries to throw a pillow at Orochi in retaliation, but she's already out the door.

He lies there for another minute before he can gather the will to get out of bed and put on his clothes. A look in the mirror confirms that he looks just as tired as he feels. He briefly tries to do something about his bedhead, then voices from outside draw his attention to the window.

His room overlooks part of the gardens surrounding the estate. They're huge, high walls shielding lush fields and exotic trees from the busy streets. The lawn just below his window seems to have been functioned into a makeshift training field, tiny figures moving back and forth. He spots Hana wielding a wooden sword, reciting a well-practiced routine, her movements flowing seamlessly, and Hinata cheering her on with a wide grin. Then he does a double-take when he notices a petite blonde Nohrian lifting weights that look almost twice her size at the other end of the field.

When he finally steps out, Orochi is leaning on the wall next to his door, her fingers tapping an unsteady rhythm against her thigh. There's an odd look on her face, but it disappears once she notices him. "What took you so long?" She gives him a skeptical once-over. "It obviously wasn't your hair."

"Oh, shut up." He tries to think of a proper comeback, but Orochi looks perfect, purple locks fashioned into the usual elaborate up-do. The diviner just huffs and starts fussing with his hair, but she seems distracted again. Kamui briefly tries to bat her hands away, but he's fighting a losing battle. 

Once she deems him presentable, they head down to the main gate. The building is big, clearly meant to accommodate nobles with a retinue much larger than theirs, and the walk drags on for a while. Orochi remains strangely quiet for most of it, only speaking up once they're nearly outside.

"Listen, Kamui, the cards have been weird lately." She makes it sound like a casual remark, but Kamui can tell there's more to it. "I've gotten symbols for deception and lies an awful lot, but I can't seem to pin down if we're in any actual danger. They just- keep showing me different things every time I try to get a clearer read." 

He doesn't really know what to make of that. There's an awful lot of ways someone could be deceived in those next few days. Does it involve the engagement? Are the Nohrians hiding something from them? He regrets the thought immediately. The culprit might as well be one of them, or someone entirely unrelated. If he asked his sister, she'd say the entire engagement is nothing but one big deception, an act. She is wrong, of course, and melodramatic to boot, so Orochi's cards must be showing something different, some evil plot to disrupt the festivities.

He sighs. They really can't use more trouble right now. For a second, he imagines just going back to his bed and hiding under the cozy covers, but trying to avoid their problems isn't his style. He'll leave that to Corrin. "What about mother?" 

Orochi shakes her head. "Her visions have been foggy at best."

"Well, that's helpful," Kamui murmurs. As powerful as she is, not even his mother can control what point in time her visions depict, or how clear they are. Sometimes, he wishes she could, or that he had inherited even a shred of her power. He would love to know how this all ends.

"Look, I don't mean to worry you," Orochi tries to reassure him. "We all agreed that a threat this vague is no reason to delay the celebrations. For all I know, someone will try to sell us fake opera tickets tomorrow, and that'll be it." Kamui shoots her a doubtful look, but the diviner seems unfazed. "In any case, Kaze and I are keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity, so there's no need to make such a long face." She ruffles through his hair, most likely undoing her previous attempts at taming it, but she doesn't seem to care. "Just- tell me if you notice anything strange."

He nods and Orochi seems happy enough to drop the topic, her usual playful smirk back on her lips. "So, are you ready to be pestered by a bunch of strangers?"

Kamui sighs, remembering where they're headed. "They'll pester Hinoka. She's the oldest." Usually, he’s not this reluctant about attending greetings. It's not like he's bad at talking to people, a bit awkward maybe, but he can be pleasant and diplomatic enough. It just tires him out, and right now, he already feels like he could use another ten hours of sleep.

"Oh, Lady Hinoka won't be there." They're at the main door now, and Orochi walks ahead to push it open. She pauses, one hand on the doorknob, and Kamui can't see her face, but he can hear the snicker in her voice. "They've arrived three days early. They can hardly expect the entire royal family to be there just to greet them. One of you will do."

"...And why me?"

"I volunteered you, of course!" She says cheerfully and pushes the door open. Kamui kind of wants to throw another pillow at her.

 

\---- 

 

"Fine. I'll move my rook all the way across-" 

"Your rook, really?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?" 

"Yes. Shut up."

"You're going to lose." 

"Shut- Arghh!"

It takes Corrin every ounce of her self-control not to flip the board. It wouldn't be the first time. There's a reason why she usually refuses to play shogi.

On any other day, Takumi would jump at the chance to mock her. Today however, he just looks resigned. Slightly annoyed, perhaps, but he's holding back any snippy remarks. Their temporary truce is still going strong.

Hinoka, sitting at an adjacent table, lets out a loud sigh. She's a slightly better shogi player than Corrin, if only for her patience, not her grasp of the game, but she's already lost a round earlier today. Takumi is all out of opponents.

"This is dumb," Corrin says and resigns to pacing aimlessly across the room. "Shogi is dumb. Libraries are dumb. Engagements are dumb." 

"Nohrians are dumb," Takumi chimes in and reaches out to move Corrin's knight across the board. Apparently, he's decided to play against himself. 

"You don't _have_ to hide in here, you know." Hinoka doesn't bother looking up from the letter she's writing. Is she really that concentrated, or just avoiding eye contact? Corrin can't tell.

She doesn't really care. Her anger from the day before hasn't boiled down yet, won't boil down until this is all over with. "So you're saying I should just go and talk to my dear future husband?"

Hinoka flinches, just slightly, before she regains her composure. "That's not..." Her sister runs a hand through her messy red hair and continues avoiding her gaze. For a moment, it looks like she wants to say something more, offer some kind of reassurance perhaps, but she doesn't, just sighs and goes back to writing her letter.

Corrin doesn't need to ask whom it is for. Hinoka's been worried sick about Setsuna getting in some kind of trouble without her ever since they left the capital, maybe ever since it was decided which retainers would accompany them on their journey. As a gesture of trust and modesty, both they and the Nohrians agreed to limit their personal guard and staff. Neither Setsuna nor Azama made the cut, for obvious reasons. Setsuna wandering off in a foreign city like Cyrkensia could only end in a catastrophe, and Azama's personality isn't exactly suited for formal events - too high the chances of him offending a Norian royal with his sardonic remarks.

Setsuna would be _fine_ though, even without Hinoka to bail her out of whatever trap she had stumbled into. She somehow made it this far, so-

There's a creak from the door and now it's Corrin's turn to flinch. She half expects Kaze to burst in and grab her, drag her out of the library by force. It's her guilty conscience speaking. Kaze would never drag her anywhere, for one. Gently insist that she has business to attend to, maybe; carry himself with enough patience and maturity that she's left feeling like a petulant child and ends up caving in eventually.

Luckily, she's managed to avoid Kaze ever since this morning, when he relayed a polite invitation to a private breakfast with Prince Leo - an invitation she has conveniently ignored. 

They stare at the door expectantly, all three of them, but it stays firmly shut. Hinoka lets out another sigh, her shoulders slumping visibly. "That's it. I have to get out of here and catch some fresh air."

"You're just going to sneak into the stables, aren't you?" Takumi nettles, and judging by Hinoka's sheepish shrug, he isn't wrong. Hinoka has insisted on taking care of their mounts herself while they're staying here. Corrin doubts it's for lack of trust in the estate servants. Most likely, Hinoka just wants to keep her mind off this mess. Corrin can't really fault her for it.

Not that her plan is working. It's been agreed upon that they can't have the princess spend all her time in the stables instead of socializing, so Kaze has taken it upon himself to check up on the horses. 

Of course, she's here with them now, hiding amongst old books and documents, instead of having tea with the Nohrians, so Kaze's efforts are mostly in vain. Still, as long as it keeps her retainer off her back for the time being, Corrin isn't complaining.

"I'll just take a quick look," Hinoka mumbles, nearly knocking over a pot of ink while gathering her writing utensils. " Princess Camilla is keeping her wyvern in there. Her _wyvern_. Our poor horses must be frightened to death." They watch her get up and stuff quills, ink and paper into her bag - everything except her unfinished letter which she picks up, careful not to smudge the ink.

She hasn't even fully pulled the door shut behind her when they hear it.

"Princess Hinoka."

Corrin and Takumi freeze.

"...Prince Leo. Good morning."

"How surprising. I didn't take you for the type to spend your mornings in the library." Prince Leo's voice is quiet, only barely seeping in through the crack of the door, but Corrin can practically hear the sneer.

"Uhm." Hinoka clears her throat. Corrin imagines her fidgeting awkwardly, running a hand through her hair. "I was just writing a letter."

"I see. Then I'll have to check out the selection of books here myself, I suppose. I doubt it can match our royal library in Windmire, of course."

Corrin takes a second to imagine Prince Leo's dumbfounded look once he sees their library back in the capital, rows upon rows of ancient books and scrolls lining up. Then realization hits her.

_He's coming in here._

Takumi and her share an equally panicked look.

To make matters worse, Prince Leo's voice picks up again. "You don't happen to have seen Princess Corrin, have you? Your sister has been strangely absent at our breakfast this morning."

"Oh. Has she?" Hinoka is fumbling with her words, her voice a pitch too high. They're screwed. Hinoka's a terrible liar.

 _"Do something."_ Corrin mouths to her brother who is still sitting across from her, hand clenched tightly around a the white rook he had just been moving on the board.

Takumi makes a face, somewhere between surprised and incredulous, and gestures at the door in a way Corrin interprets as a silent  _"what the hell do you want me to do"_.

"I don't care. Distract him. Just get him away from the library."

"What if I don't want to talk to him either? I'm not going out there!" Of course Takumi has to pick this moment to be stubborn.

Corrin grits her teeth. "Listen here, I'm supposed to spend the better part of the next year with that jerk, probably the better part of my whole _life_." She's getting too loud, she realizes with a start, but the voices from the hallway continue. "Is it really asking too much that I get a few more days without having to talk to him?" She's playing the guilt card, they both know it, but she's also _right_. It's not like this will be over after the engagement ceremony. There's more to come, speeches, formal visits. They're supposed to spend the next few months travelling together across their countries, from village to village, and let the people see their _joyous union_  firsthand. Then comes the marriage. And after that...

Corrin feels a sharp pain in her hands. She unclenches her fist, angry red marks remaining where her nails dug into her palms.

"So you haven't seen Princess Corrin today?" Prince Leo's voice drifts in again, growing impatient, and Takumi seems to reach a decision. He gets up with a dark look on his face, shoulders squared.

"I'm not doing this for _you_ ," he mouths, although he obviously is, and there isn't really anyone else he could be doing this for.  Corrin doesn't bother to correct him. Whatever makes her little brother happy.

Takumi steps out, and Corrin can basically hear Hinoka's sigh of relief as Prince Leo's attention shifts to her brother. "Prince Takumi, visiting the library as well? How surprising."

"I read plenty", Takumi snaps, and if his plan is to distract Prince Leo by getting into a fight with him, he's off to a good start.

There's a moment of awkward silence. "Well. I should head in and make use of my free time. Princess Hinoka, Prince Takumi, If you'd-"

"SHOGI!"

"...Excuse me?"

"You should... come outside and play a round of shogi with me." Takumi sounds like he's speaking through gritted teeth. Corrin tries very hard to suppress a snicker. "I- I challenge you to a duel."

"I don't think I am familiar with that game", Prince Leo says, and Corrin can't quite tell, but she thinks there's a tint of amusement to his voice. "But I'm not one to decline a challenge. Lead the way."

"I- Oh." By the sound of it, Takumi can't quite believe his plan worked. "Um. Great. I'll go get the board. You... wait right here."

Corrin gets about half a second to school her features back into neutrality. She fails, of course, meaning she's still grinning from ear to ear when Takumi reenters the library, kicking the door closed behind him.

"Good job", she mouths with a thumbs up.

Takumi shoots her a murderous look and goes to retrieve the board.

Then her brother closes the door behind him, shogi set in hand, and Corrin sits back and waits. 

At first, she just means to make sure Takumi and Prince Leo are truly gone, but then ten minutes have passed, enough for them to be in the gardens already, and Corrin still hasn't moved. The thing is, she isn't sure _where_  to go. Takumi is gone, Hinoka is busy, and Kamui isn't an option. That leaves Sakura, but from what she's heard, her little sister has been dragged away by Princess Elise this morning. She's probably still getting her ears talked off over tea and cake. 

Staying in the library turns out to be a terrible mistake, because she is still sitting there, brooding, when the door to the library creaks open again, and she finds herself face to face with a Nohrian stranger. Cornered.

Corrin sees the prim attire, the carefully pulled back grey hair, the rigid stance, and knows she's screwed. Her suspicion is confirmed when the man gives a low bow. "Princess Corrin, I'm glad I could find you." He certainly doesn't look it, sizing her up with his mouth pressed to a tight line. "If I may introduce myself: Jakob, retainer to Prince Leo of Nohr."

Corrin gives a tight nod and nothing more. She's too busy contemplating if she can dive past the man out the door and make a daring escape.

"If I could have a minute of your time, Princess. I'm here to relay an invitation on behalf of my Lord." He makes a show of pulling out a small, official-looking note from his pocket, then continues to recite it without even bothering to look down. "Prince Leo would be honored to invite you to tea and a small lunch to make up for the breakfast you so regretfully missed. He expects you in the eastern parlour at noon." The words are accompanied by an icy look.

To Corrin, that sounds more like a challenge than an invitation. She holds Jakob's gaze defiantly, until they're having a full-blown stare off. "Very well. You can tell Prince Leo his message has been received." Jakob gives a small bow without breaking eye contact. They're both too stubborn to be the first to look away. Corrin starts feeling a nervous twitch in her right eye. “That will be all. Thank you, Jakob.”

Jakob doesn't move. "I can't help but notice you are without a retainer, Princess."

Corrin halts at that. What is he playing at? “For the moment, yes.”

He smiles. “It wouldn't do to leave a princess alone and unguarded. Please, let me accompany you until you meet with milord this afternoon. It’s the least I can do.” 

Shit. “I can handle myself, thank you. Besides, it's very unlikely something will happen. This place is tightly guarded, after all.” 

Jakob seems unimpressed. Of course. It’s not like he’s concerned for her safety. Corrin is almost certain that this is all a ploy to make sure she doesn’t skip out on another one of Prince Leo’s invites. She can hardly pretend she’s forgotten about the thing when Jakob is right there to remind her. 

As expected, he doesn’t even bat an eyelash. “I must insist. Milord would be very cross with me if I returned without making sure you are safe.”

Corrin tries to stare him down. He smiles. It seems less and less likely she’ll be able to talk herself out of this one.

 

\----

 

It's over quicker than expected. Only two groups have arrived this early, and both are visibly worn out from their travels. Kamui thinks he can still smell the salt water clinging to their skin. The journey to Cyrkensia is long, and he doubts their ship was as grand and steady as the one he and his family got to travel in.

The Fire Tribe delegation arrives first. Five tribesmen, led by the chieftain's daughter. She's young, barely older than him, with messy white hair and the build of a warrior. Her demeanor is somewhat curt, but her well-wishes to his sister sound earnest. Once they've exchanged the basic formalities, she gives a silent signal to the men and women behind her, and they leave for their quarters with a last bow; a foreign looking troupe, dressed in strips of cloth, furs, and little else.

The representatives from the Wind Tribe prove somewhat more talkative. Their leader, the chieftain himself, introduces himself with a low bow and a confident smile. He looks surprisingly young at first glance, probably due to being a full head shorter than Kamui, but judging by the lines across his face, he must be about his parents' age. 

"Chieftain Hayato of the Wind Tribe, at your service. We're honored to be here." He waves over a young woman whom he introduces as his daughter, and she joins them reluctantly. Kamui tries hard to suppress a smile at her dour expression. She has the air of someone who'd rather be anywhere else but here, standing silently in her father's shadow, eyes hidden behind long bangs.

"This should also make for a nice opportunity to explore the city!" the chieftain continues, unaware, or perhaps ignoring, his daughter's sulking. "Cyrkensia isn't called the Jewel of Cheve for nothing. We have an exciting few days before us, haven't we, Rhajat?" 

"I suppose," the young woman replies with all the enthusiasm of someone heading to a funeral.

"Then I hope you enjoy your stay," Kamui adds seamlessly. "I'd join you, but I'm afraid I won't be able to leave the premises for the duration of our stay." It would be quite the commotion if someone recognised him out there. They don't have enough staff to travel the city openly, and to be honest, Kamui doesn't mind. They're not here to go sightseeing, after all. They're here to tie new bonds and strengthen their alliance.

If Corrin wants to go ahead and sulk instead of getting to know her future fiancé, at least he'll have to play nice with the Nohrians. And if he's lucky, Ryoma will send him an update on how the negotiations with King Garon are going. That'll keep him busy for a while.

"That's a shame, your Highness. Although I've heard Cyrkensians are quite fond of costumes and carnivals. I bet if you got yourself a fancy disguise, people would take you for just another tourist," the chieftain suggests with a grin, and Kamui isn't sure whether he's joking or not.

"A tempting idea, if somewhat risky." He makes a mental note to keep the chieftain far from Corrin. She'd agree immediately.

From there, the conversation drifts on to life in the Wind Tribe village, a surprisingly interesting topic. It seems the tribe lives far enough from the border to be unaffected by the recent bandit attacks, but they're waging their own battles. When the Chieftain talks about new wells built with the scorching hot sun on their backs and sandstorms sweeping over their lands, Kamui almost feels like he's there. He's read about the wind tribe of course, in old books in the castle library and reports by their ambassadors, but it seems they can't quite measure up to a first-hand source.

When the chieftain excuses himself and his delegation to their quarters, Kamui is almost sad to watch them leave. 

Then they're gone, and it's once again just Orochi and him. The diviner is leaning against the estate wall a few paces away, twisting a lock of purple hair around her finger. "Well, look at that. You survived."

He just shoots her a glare. Maybe the greeting wasn't as bad as expected, but he isn't about to let her off the hook for volunteering him.

"That leaves the Ice Tribe, Izumo and Mokushu," She continues, unfazed, counting them off on her fingers. "I'm surprised Mokushu isn't here yet, actually. From what Kaze told me, their leader seems the type to jump at the opportunity to scurry favor with your family." Orochi pulls a face, then her eyes light up in excitement. "Oh, but I can't wait until Lord Izana arrives. He'll shake things up." 

He's never met Izana, but Kamui knows Ryoma and Hinoka once paid the man a visit in Izumo. When asked about him afterwards, they just insisted he couldn't possibly be described with words alone.

Kamui is about to press for Orochi to tell him more, when his stomach growls, loudly. 

Orochi snickers. "I suppose I owe you a nice meal. I'll see if I can convince the cooks to prepare you a late breakfast. A very late one."

It's only now Kamui notices that the sun is already at its zenith. Maybe the greeting took longer than he thought, or maybe Orochi didn't wake him that early after all. In retrospect, the sunlight really was weirdly bright when he got up.

When he looks back down, Orochi is already gone.

He stands there for a few seconds, unsure of what to do with himself. Under different circumstances, he'd scramble to tell Corrin about their guests. When they were younger, they used to skip their lessons just to watch ambassadors from far away arrive at the castle gates. The ones from the Fire Tribe, with their fiery eyes and bright red markings, were Corrin's favorite. She always said she'd just pack her bags and travel there one day, see what life outside the castle walls is like.

Now, that doesn't seem very likely.

Kamui shakes his head. No, going to see Corrin does not seem like a good idea.

With a sigh, he turns to follow Orochi into the kitchens and nearly runs straight into a pair of broad shoulders. He lets out an embarrassing yelp, but before he can lose his balance, a warm grip on his arm steadies him.

" _Shit-_ "

Kamui looks up to meet a stranger's eyes. Eye. Only one is visible, the other one hidden behind an eyepatch and strands of silver hair. The man seems just as startled as he is, grip still tight on his arm. Kamui notices broad shoulders and a rugged blue coat, faint scars running across dark skin and disappearing under the neckline of his shirt. His clothes seem too casual for a servant - a Nohrian retainer then.

It takes him a second to realize he's staring. "Gods! I'm sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going." 

The stranger blinks, then flashes a wide grin. "Well, no harm done." He lets go of his arm, but doesn't bother stepping back. "Actually, I should be the one to apologize. I nearly knocked over a prince, after all."

He gives a low bow, too theatrical to be serious, his eye newer leaving Kamui's. "You could probably have me hanged, your Highness."

"We don't hang people for bumping into us," Kamui retorts, perhaps a bit too earnest. The man is probably joking, but then again, Kamui doesn't know what the Nohrian court is like. From what he's heard, Nohr can't afford to be patient with offenders.

"Good to know. My neck is safe then." There's a tint of amusement to his voice, along with something else Kamui can't quite place. "Actually, I've been meaning to talk to you, Prince Kamui," the stranger continues, and when he leans in just an inch, Kamui realizes how close they're standing. "Walk with me for a bit, won't you." 

Kamui gets about half a second to process the words, then he's being nudged towards a small path to his right, the stranger's hand resting gently but firmly on his lower back.

His feet are moving before he can think better of it.

Kamui opens his mouth, then closes it, then repeats that motion several times, to no avail.

The path is narrow and framed by thick foliage on both sides, trees and bushes intertwining in a graceful way that makes him wonder how much time the estate's servants spend trimming them each day. This must be part of the gardens. Now and then, he catches a glimpse of grey stone to his left - it seems they're walking along the estate wall.

They pass by several small clearings, branches and leaves making way for marble benches and statuettes, and Kamui finds himself slowing down to marvel at them. A few rays of sunlight fall through the foliage, painting ornaments on the ground. He can hear the occasional bird chirp, but otherwise, all is silent. The busy streets of the city can't be far, but here, they might as well be in the middle of a forest.

"Never seen a tree before?" Kamui startles at the voice. The stranger is standing a few paces ahead, one eyebrow lifted. It's only now Kamui realizes he's stopped walking.

"I didn't grow up _that_ sheltered." The man's lips twitch into a smirk. It's quite fetching. Kamui directs his gaze back to the greenery before he can be tempted to examine that thought further.  "It's- it's beautiful here. I'll have to come back. Bring a nice book to read with me."

"Read? Don't you think this place could be used for much more _interesti_ -" The stranger stops himself mid-sentence. Kamui blinks, confused, but the man is quick to continue with a shrug. "I mean, sure. good place to read. Great, let's get going."

Kamui doesn't get much time to wonder what that was about. The stranger is walking again, faster this time, and his blue coat is already disappearing amongst the branches. He hurries to follow.

"Didn't you want to talk to be about something?"

The man halts, and Kamui catches up to him with a few big steps. "Impatient, aren't we?" He lets out a low chuckle, settling into a somewhat more comfortable pace. "Very well."

The stranger takes his time. He must be choosing his words carefully. Kamui isn't sure what that means, but he feels a pang of nervousness in his gut. "You see, I owe Lord Leo a great deal. So obviously, his happiness is very important to me..." 

Oh. Corrin's angry glare shoots through his mind. Kamui knows where this is going, and he isn't looking forward to it. "Look, I know my sister hasn't made the best first impression, but-"

"Oh. No. No, I don't care about your sister. I mean, I do. I'm sure she's a lovely person and all that crap when she's not... Well. That's a can of worms I'd rather not open." He trails off, shooting Kamui a somewhat worried look. "Not that I'm calling your sister to a can of worms, of course. I'm just... Ah, shit." At that point, the stranger seems to decide it's best to stop talking, muttering something under his breath that sounds suspiciously like a string of curses. 

Kamui fails to suppress a chuckle. His theory that the man is a Nohrian retainer isn't holding up very well. Serving a royal usually requires at least a basic grasp etiquette.

His amusement is cut short when the stranger recaptures his gaze, composed once again. "What I wanted to talk about is _you_."

" _Me?_ " Kamui blinks. "I'm not the one getting married to Prince Leo." 

The man lets out a low laugh. "No, definitely not. But you are going to be his brother in law. It's part of my duty to get to know you. Make sure you're a decent person." 

"Uhm." Kamui's mind kind of blanks. "That very...thorough. I'm not sure there's that much know about me."

"Well, you seem to be awfully modest, for one thing." The man claps him on the back lightly, his hand lingering there for a second. He makes the motion look natural somehow, as if they haven't just met twenty minutes ago. "Come on, what do you like? What do you do?"

Kamui finds himself biting his lip, scanning his mind for an answer that isn't "reading" or "drinking tea with Sakura" or something equally as boring. It's kind of ridiculous. It's not like he should care what a random Nohrian thinks of his pastimes. But still. "I- I like to learn more about my country whenever I have time, read reports, talk to our ambassadors. I want to know what's troubling our people." He tries to read the strangers gaze for a reaction, but his eyes are dark and blue and impenetrable. "That's my duty, after all."

"How noble." Does he mean that? Kamui can't tell. "And what about your siblings, do you get along with them?" 

"Of course." Kamui relaxes slightly. That's a much easier question to answer. "We have our little squabbles" -Or more like, the others do. Kamui is the one mediating most of the time since he prefers to avoid conflict- "but we care for each other a great deal. Sakura's the kindest person you'll ever meet, Hinoka and Ryoma are always looking out for me, and Takumi may not show it, but he's the first to get worried when I'm down. And Corrin-" He hesitates, but only for a second. There's no need to let an outsider know about their differences. "She understands me. We're twins, after all."

"Interesting." The stranger gives a low hum. "Doesn't sound too different from another set of royals I know."

Kamui thinks of Princess Camilla's icy gaze and Elise's endless chatter. He kind of doubts it.

The stranger slows down. They've arrived at a different part of the gardens now, more cultivated, with high hedges replacing the trees and bushes from before. Kamui's momentarily distracted by an array of hedges that looks suspiciously like the entrance to a miniature labyrinth, but the stranger's voice is quick to pull him back. "What about other people? Any close friends? Confidants? A lover perhaps?"

Kamui almost stumbles over his own feet.

"...No." He manages to make his voice sound mostly normal, a bit too high maybe. That's a normal question. Probably. Nothing to get flustered about. "I mean, yes. I have some friends, of course."

The stranger let's out a low hum. No further questions. Kamui releases a breath he wasn't aware he's been holding. He watches the stranger run a hand through his messy white hair, faint scars on his knuckles.

"What about you?" The man halts at the question. Kamui doesn't really know where it came from either, but he decides he might as well run with it. "I'd say it's my turn to ask questions, right? Actually, I haven't even asked your name yet." 

"Curious aren't you" The stranger's a lot closer suddenly, voice low, a glint in his eyes. He's a good few inches taller than him, Kamui realizes. "You know, if you want to get to know me-" He cuts himself off, taking a step back, and Kamui is left wondering once again what _that_  means. Maybe it just hit him he's talking to a prince. Maybe he's just remembered the concept of personal space. "Well, anyway, you're right. I never did introduce myself. Then again, we met rather suddenly, didn't we?"

 _"You could make up for it now"_ Kamui wants to answer, but he's cut off by the sharp sound of heels clicking on stone, drawing closer. He turns. Nothing but a row of hedges, but before long, a tall figure with a mass of purple locks emerges from around a corner. 

Princess Camilla masks her surprise with a smile and a graceful curtsy. "Prince Kamui. You're alone? I thought I heard Niles there for a second."

"Niles?" Kamui turns to find nothing but empty air beside him. The stranger is gone. "I was talking to someone just now. But, well, I didn't get his name."

"Let's see." Princess Camilla taps a finger against her lips. Her nails are pointed and painted a deep black. "White hair, black eyepatch, no manners? Tried to embarrass you with a number of inappropriate innuendos?" 

"Um. All but the last. I think."

"Really now?" The princess looks genuinely surprised for a second, then the smile is back. "Well, either Niles is acting weirdly out of character, or"-she draws closer with a sway in her step, reaches out, and very gently flicks his nose. "you are even more naive than I thought. How cute."

Kamui rubs his nose, feeling vaguely offended - but not nearly offended enough to speak up for himself. He decides retreat is his best option. "I should head back inside, actually. A warm meal is waiting for me." 

"Oh no, do stay. I'll have Beruka fetch your plate." At her words, a small figure emerges from the shadows so seamlessly Kamui actually startles. The girl, or young woman perhaps, gives a quick bow and hurries off towards the building, her steps completely soundless. Camilla loops her arm through his, her hand resting on the back of his wrist. Her long nails feel a bit like claws. "I missed my chance to talk to you yesterday, you know. We need to make up for that."

Her tone is sweet, but Kamui feels like she doesn't have idle chit chat on her mind. 

 _Not again_ , he thinks as he follows Camilla deeper into the gardens.

 

\----

 

The eastern parlor is bright, with airy curtains and ceiling-high windows that flood the room with light. Prince Leo is already there, waiting beside an elegantly set table, a sharp contrast against the white room. His face is an odd mix of relief and displeasure as they walk in. 

"Princess Corrin."

"Prince Leo."

Corrin lets Jakob lead her to the table and pull out her chair. A Nohrian maid pours her tea. Prince Leo dismisses the both of them with a wave of his hand the moment they are done.

Corrin's almost sad to see Jakob go, if only because it means she'll be spending the next hour alone with his master. The retainer must be pleased with himself. He's managed to drag her here, after all. Corrin has to admit she's impressed. For the better part of the last hour she's been looking for an opening, hoping to slip away while Jakob isn't paying attention, but the man has stuck to her like a wyvern tailing it's prey.

She could have just refused, of course. Maybe she should have - It's not like Jakob has any right to argue with a princess. But an outright refusal is far from "conveniently forgetting" an invitation. An outright refusal could be taken as a major offense, and there's some lines even Corrin doesn't dare to cross.

"Did you sleep well, Princess?" Prince Leo is sipping at his tea, shoulders stiff. He doesn't bother meeting her eyes.

"Not really."

"Oh? Are you having trouble with the heat?" 

The weather is the least of her worries. "Sure."

"I see." Corrin watches his finger tap an unsteady rythm against the rim of his cup. "You will get used to it soon. The heat always feels smothering at first, but it gets better after a few nights."

Prince Leo has been in Cyrkensia numerous times, Corrin remembers. After all, King Garon is known to be a lover of the Grand Opera. He's probably got some tales to share about the plays, the busy markets, the restaurants and cafés overlooking the ocean. Corrin isn't about to ask though. She'd much rather continue staring him down in silence.

Prince Leo clears his throat, but doesn't add anything more. An uncomfortable silence falls over them. Corrin watches his finger continue tapping against the rim of his cup. Then it stills. "Fine."

When she looks up, he meets her eyes head on. "Let's get straight to the point then. You clearly aren't happy about this arrangement." 

Corrin hesitates. She was fully prepared for an afternoon of forced small talk and dancing around the wyvern in the room, not this. "I- Well, I'm-"

"You're scared. Your life is about to change. You're supposed to marry a man you barely even know, and _certainly_ don't trust." He smirks. "It's painfully obvious you and your family don't think much of us. You Hoshidans are quite terrible at masking your emotions."

He might be right about that last one, because Corrin is bristling with annoyance right now, and she is doing an abysmal job of hiding it. Prince Leo doesn't seem to care. He just continues. "I can't blame you. Our countries share a long history of mutual distrust. But I can assure you, most of what you've heard is entirely false. As you'll see during our stay in Windmire, castle Krakenburg is not all that different from Shirasagi. You'll have all the comfort and luxuries you're accustomed to. For a matter of-"

"I don't _care_." Corrin snaps and Prince Leo flinches. His look of surprise only spurs her on. "I couldn't care less about you and your luxuries, Prince Leo, and I'm _certainly_ not scared. I'm simply unwilling to cling to a stupid plan that isn't going to change a damn thing."

She takes a second to breathe. Prince Leo opens his mouth, ready to interject, but Corrin is far from done. "Do you seriously think the problems between our nations are supposed to be solved by a couple of royals feigning happiness? A stupid act isn't going to erase centuries of animosity and disputes! We need to actually _do_ something. We need to set up negotiations, open the borders, start a joint effort to track down bandits, establish new trade routes." 

Prince Leo doesn't answer immediately, fixing her with sharp eyes instead. Corrin wishes he would give some kind of reaction, but his voice is calm when he finally speaks. "The people _have_ been celebrating ever since the announcement." To her surprise, there's little conviction in his words.

"Sure, they're celebrating. And then a month from now, another border town is going to reap a spoiled harvest and they'll be just as quick to blame it on some kind of Nohrian dark magic. Do you honestly think _this_ is going to change that?" She gestures between them; Prince Leo, expression somber, hands folded carefully on the table; herself, fists clenched, radiating with anger. He musters her intently, dark eyes unreadable.

"I don't." 

Corrin blinks, her smart retort dying in her throat. "...You don't?"

"No, I agree with you. It's unlikely this arrangement will have any kind of lasting impact on its own." Prince Leo stubbornly refuses to meet her eyes again, but still, that sounds like- that sounds like she isn't the only one unhappy with this situation. That sounds like she might have an ally. "The best we can hope for is that it might draw our families closer together, but even that seems unlikely at this point." He's wearing a wry smile. Corrin remembers he just spent an hour being glared down by Takumi over a game of shogi, which might explain his grim outlook on family relations. Well, he isn't wrong. Corrin can't really imagine _anyone_ bonding during their days of forced cohabitation.

"However, that doesn't matter." Prince Leo cuts through her thoughts, his eyes sharp and serious again. "The moment our families decided on this engagement, it's become our duty to comply. We are members of the royal family. We need to play our parts, and we need to do so... in a manner befitting of our positions. We can't let any rumors arise about the veracity of our relationship."

Corrin doesn't miss the pointed look he shoots her. "You...want me to play along? You expect me to smile and coo at you from now on?"

"I expect you to stop being childish."

 _Childish?_ "I'm being _honest,_  Prince Leo.I'm being true to my feelings! I refuse to dedicate my life to an act that never had a chance of succeeding in the first place. I refuse to lie in my countrymen's faces for the rest of my days!"

Prince Leo is shaking his head before she's even finished. "Your personal doubts don't matter. It's far too late for that. Calling off the engagement at this point would create a scandal big enough to throw our nations into turmoil, and you know that." He doesn't bother raising his voice, but Corrin sees the way his fingers are clenched around the handle of his cup. "You don't strike me as stupid, _Princess_. You know exactly how little power you have over this situation, or you wouldn't even _be_ here. So tell me, what exactly are you trying to accomplish by throwing your little tantrums and hiding from me in libraries like a scared child? Nothing is going to change."

"You-" _How does he know?_ Corrin feels a pang of shame, but it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter how she decided to spend her morning, because Prince Leo is still _wrong_. "You admitted yourself you don't believe in this plan! You _know_ all we're doing is wasting time! We'll be stuck trying to fool the people into believing we're a happy couple for the rest of our lives, when we could be doing much more important things! And yet you'd rather stay quiet and comply than take a stand for what you believe in?" Corrin catches his gaze, refuses to let it go.  "Aren't you the one being afraid?" 

Prince Leo finally snaps. "I'm being _rational_! I know when it's necessary to set my personal beliefs aside! We are _royals_ , Princess. The people look up to us in search for guidance. We need to be firm. We need to be decisive. We can't show any sign of uncertainty." He's standing now too, eyes alight with anger. There's some sense of satisfaction to be had from seeing him all riled up, finally breaking his impassive act. "My father, my _siblings_ count on me to play my part in this engagement, and I am not about to disappoint my family. Unlike-" 

He cuts himself off. _"Unlike you"_. It hangs in the air between them, unspoken.

Corrin clenches her fists tighter and bites her tongue in order to refrain from saying something stupid. Something she can't take back. "Fine!" She grits out. Prince Leo is wrong - about her, about not acting on their beliefs - but he isn't wrong about their situation. Corrin can't risk hurting their families' relationship even further by lashing out mindlessly, and if she could just refuse and run off she would have done it months ago. She doesn't know what it would take to break off this engagement, but it's nothing she can do on her own. She's trapped. "Fine. You're content to keep quiet and do nothing? Go ahead." She sees Prince Leo let out a small breath, his shoulders losing some of their tension. He must sense the defeat in her voice. "You're right, I'm not stupid, and I'm not about to endanger Hoshido's future. On the day of that shitty ceremony I'll wear a pretty dress and be your smiling, happy fiancé." She turns, unwilling to see if Prince Leo's eyes light up in triumph. "But till then, don't expect me to play pretend. Don't expect me to fake even one stupid smile for you."

Prince Leo gives a small _tsk_ "You can't keep acting so openly hostile. The servants will talk. Word might get-"

"I won't then." Corrin snaps. "Better even, I won't interact with you at all. That way, I can't possibly mess up. Will that be good enough for you?"

Prince Leo stays quiet for a long minute, then he sighs. "Maybe that's the best we can hope for."

Corrin doesn't bother with a reply, doesn't even bother turning around and bidding her goodbyes. She's out the door before Prince Leo can even open his mouth. She storms down the hall, her whole skin crawling with anger and, worse than that, the bitter feeling of defeat.

 

\----

 

"Your festivals really do sound delightful, Prince Kamui. I can't wait to experience them firsthand."

Princess Camilla smiles at him from across the gazebo, hands folded delicately on her lap. She seems perfectly at ease, keeping up their smalltalk with the ease of someone who's had countless years of practice. A light summer breeze ruffels through her hair and she tucks a loose strand behind her ear as the sunlight catches on the blade of the four-foot-tall battle axe leaning on the railing behind her. 

The weapon is somewhat distracting to be frank. Kamui clears his throat. "Well. I'm sure you'll have plenty opportunities to come and visit, Princess." 

It's true. Once this is over, visits to each other’s capital should become just par for the course for all of them. That's the plan at least, and Kamui will do everything in his power to ensure its passing. Even if it means he'll be spending more uncomfortable afternoon talks with Princess Camilla and her sharp smiles and even sharper axe.

Princess Camilla chuckles, following his gaze. "Please, don't mind my little friend here." She pats the handle of her weapon almost affectionately. "I was training just earlier, you see. I know it's terrible etiquette to have our weapons with us, but those training axes just aren't the same." The princess leans back and Kamui realizes for the first time this afternoon that she's wearing a very simple linen shirt and trousers, a sharp contrast to her evening gown the other day. He really must have caught her by surprise. "I definitely didn't expect to meet you down here, Prince Kamui," Princess Camilla continues, "although I am very glad I did. I've been curious about you."

"... _Why?_ " Kamui asks incredulously before he can think better of it. This _Nohrians being strangely interested in him_ business is becoming a weird trend and frankly, it's a bit alarming.

Princess Camilla lets out a bark of laughter. Kamui wonders what kind of face he was making. "Oh my! Don't look so surprised, dear. Of course I'm interested in you!" She catches herself, settling back into her usual pleasant smile. "You're a central player in all this, aren't you?"

Princess Camilla leans forward, holding his gaze with piercing eyes. A predator ready to pounce. "After all, you were the one who came up with the idea for this this engagement, weren't you?"

"Tell me, Prince Kamui, _what were you thinking_?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With the start of college, moving out from home and some mental issues I had a rough (but still exciting) few months.  
> I can't promise anything, but the next chapter should be here much faster than this. That's the best I can do.
> 
> I really do love writing this story though, and if anything's kept me going, it's all the kind comments and kudos people left. Thank you guys so much. I was pretty nervous posting that first chapter, but you really made me ridiculously happy with your support.
> 
> I also sometimes post doodles of this fic over on tumblr. It's a sideblog, so I don't post much, but feel free to drop by: https://librarypigeon.tumblr.com.


	3. Camilla just wishes these boys would stop being selfless

"About six months ago, a hunter went missing from one of our border towns."

"It was a quiet village. It had been ages since anything of notice happened there. But they had been at odds with their Nohrian neighbors for years, squabbling over their territory and hunting grounds. So when this hunter went missing, all hell went loose."

"She was known for travelling well across the border to stalk her pray. The Nohrians knew. They complained about her from time to time, how she intruded in their territory. Then, one day, she just didn't return. The whole village was on their feet within hours. Accusations got thrown around. Some of them were- They were ridiculous. Nohrian sabotage. dark magic. A group of farmers insisted the Nohrians had captured her and were holding her hostage in their village."

"They contacted a nearby patrol, urging them to scour the forest for clues. But they couldn't. Our men weren't allowed to cross the border, of course. By the time their request for passage would have reached you officials, several days would have passed."

Kamui takes a deep breath. "In the end, a farmer girl from our village just... packed her things and went out there looking for her, all alone in the snow. She found her about half a day into Nohrian territory. Dead."

"She was lying at the bottom of a cliff with a broken bloody leg. Must have slipped on a patch of ice. There was a trace in the snow. She had been dragging herself along the cliff trying to find a spot to climb back up. She didn't. The cold and the blood loss must have gotten to her eventually."

"I went through all the reports I could find, you know. Our officials questioned some of the villagers and they- Some of them still held the Nohrians accountable, said someone might have pushed her, but most agreed it was a terrible accident. Some of them didn't buy into the accusations to start with. But nobody- Nobody even _considered_ seeking help from across the border back when it happened." 

"I did some research. Apparently, there was a Nohrian patrol stationed just a few miles further West. If they'd been contacted in time...Well, we'll never know."

Kamui pauses and risks a glance at Princess Camilla sitting across from him. She doesn’t speak up, doesn’t try to argue or express her sympathy, but her eyes are attentive and somewhat sad.

“This is just one incident, of course, but there are many more. And we can pass new laws. We can negotiate, open the borders, arrange shared patrols. And it’s going to solve some of our problems, yes, but it won’t change the fact that there are centuries of mistrust weighting on our nations.”

“And you think the engagement is going to change that?” Camilla asks at last, looking like she already knows his answer.

“It’s a start,” Kamui says. “A _sign_ of sorts. A farmer in some border town isn’t going to care much about a slight decrease in import taxes, or even a new patrol system. And it certainly isn’t going to make them rethink their ideals.”

“But a wedding they can relate to,” Camilla finishes his thought. “Everyone wants to hear a good love story.”

“It’s the grandest gesture I could think of,” Kamui admits and lets himself sink against the back of his chair. A light breeze ruffles through his hair. He almost forgot they were outside.

Camilla gives a low hum. The she goes quiet and Kamui sits and waits, already mentally sorting through all the other arguments and explanations he's so carefully laid out. But the princess doesn't probe any further. For all her intensity when she brought up the engagement earlier, Camilla is oddly quick to let go. 

She's staring off into some middle distance just beyond his head, deep in thought, and Kamui realizes that maybe, she doesn't know what to make of this situation either.

"Can I ask you something, Princess Camilla?" 

She blinks at him, caught off guard for just a moment. Then her smile is back. "Go ahead, Dear."

"I heard... Um." Kamui takes a second to gather his thoughts and feels a spike of nervousness in his gut. He didn't really plan to bring this up. "I heard you are very protective of your family." He hesitates. Camilla gives a slight nod, her head tilted to the side as she motions for him to continue. She's watching him curiously.

"Um. When you first received our proposal for an engagement, once your family decided to accept... How did you decide that Prince Leo should be the one to step forth?"

Camilla seems surprised. "Well, he volunteered," she says, as if that is a logical conclusion to make. As if their decision wasn't preceded by two weeks of heated arguments and biting silences and his sister’s eyes blazing with fury. As if it was easy for them. She taps a perfectly manicured finger against her lips. "I thought you knew. He wasn't very fond of the idea initially, but once it passed our vote, he was the first to step up."

He takes a minute to process that. It's not just the volunteering that throws him off - it seems he fundamentally miscalculated. According to all the information he gathered about the Nohrian siblings, Prince Leo should have been much more interested in his studies than in foreign affairs. Apparently, that didn't stop him.

"I couldn't stand the thought at first," Camilla admits. "He is my baby brother, after all, and this arrangement-" She pauses and shoots him a weird look he can't really place. Is she afraid he'll take offense if she says anything bad about the engagement? She shouldn’t be. He’s probably heard much worse from Corrin. “Well, it doesn't suit him. But Leo wouldn't hear it. He insisted it was his place to do this. So I let him." There's a smile on her lips, fond and just a little bit strained. "Leo is such a bright kid- such a bright young _man_. He doesn't need his big sister fussing over him. I'm sure he'd hate it."

Her voice drifts off and now it's Kamui's turn to fall silent, trying to sort the information he just received. 

Prince Leo wasn't in favor of the idea initially, but he is committed to playing his part. He must see the importance of it. That's not too bad. Maybe _he_ can convince Corrin to- Kamui cuts off that string of thought and almost lets out a wry laugh. No, there's no person Corrin would be _less_ likely to listen to right now than Prince Leo, himself excluded. But maybe if he-

Camilla cuts off his thoughts with a quiet _“Oh"_.  When Kamui turns to look at her, she's staring at him; eyes wide in realization. "You didn't expect Leo to volunteer."

It's not a question and she doesn't bother to wait for his confirmation. "You didn't expect him to get chosen at all, because, as you said, I am protective of my siblings, to an extent that even _you_ knew about it." She pauses, watching him intently and Kamui feels himself shift in his seat under her gaze. "You expected _me_ to volunteer."

She's right. Kamui stays silent, but Camilla doesn't seem interested in a reply anyway. There's a weird glint in her eyes as she searches his face, and Kamui realizes he might have underestimated her perspicacity as she continues speaking.

"In that case, of course, your family would have needed to provide a _groom_. Prince Ryouma must be just as busy with his duties as our dear Xander is. Prince Takumi-" She pauses. Kamui's sure a number of reasons why Takumi would have been a disastrous candidate for this engagement come to mind, starting with the fact that he and Corrin held a heated contest yesterday evening over who could stare daggers at the Nohrians the longest. Camilla doesn't seem all that eager to get into it, so she gives a shrug. "Well, Prince Takumi seems like an unlikely choice."

Then, she smirks. "Which leaves _you_."

Kamui hesitates. There's no point denying it. “It seemed like the most likely outcome, yes.” He feels put on the spot. He feels silly, his thought process from months ago unraveled and picked apart like that. At the very least, Princess Camilla came to the same conclusion as he did back then. There must have been some logic to his calculations.

Not that that’s much of a consolation now.

Camilla holds his gaze for several more moments that seem to stretch themselves into eternity. Then, she erupts into a cascade of bell-like laughter. 

“Ah. That's adorable, Kamui," she splutters between fits of giggles, and Kamui tries very hard not to bristle. 

"I know I may have been naive, Princess, but-"

"Please, call me Camilla," she cuts him off with a wave of her hand. She's caught herself, mostly, though her voice is still slightly breathless when she continues. "I apologize. I didn't mean to mock you. It's just- Well, we've found ourselves in quite the situation, haven't we?”

Kamui can’t argue with that. “Things didn’t exectly turn out the way I hoped they would.”

“When do they ever?” Camilla says. She gives a low chuckle and runs a hand over her face. "For all it counts, it might just have worked out, you know? We would have made a good couple. Although” She catches his eyes. “Perhaps not a very happy one.”

Kamui tries to hold her gaze and wonders how she can tell. And just how well she has him figured out. They’ve barely known each other for a day.

“I think I would have been happy enough,” he finally responds, “knowing that I made a difference.”

Something in her expression shifts, but she doesn't press any further. She just gives a weak huff. "You're a good kid, Kamui." 

She’s barely two years older than him, but Kamui doesn’t bother correcting her. Because there's something very warm and just a little sad in Camilla’s eyes, and Kamui watches as she gets up, hesitates for just a second, and then ruffles a hand through his hair. "It will be fine, you know. All we can do now is wait and watch.”

Kamui watches her pick up her axe and strap it to her back, skillfully keeping her purple locks from getting tangled in the process. Camilla looks formidable and strong and certain, and Kamui wants to believe her, he really does. So he nods and smiles and tries to ignore the knot of worry and guilt at the pit of his stomach. 

Camilla bids her goodbye and Kamui remembers his manners, getting up to take her hand and press a light kiss to her knuckles. Her blue-haired retainer is already waiting for her at the entrance of the gazebo, and Kamui briefly tries to remember her name, until he spies a flash of lavender at her side and realizes Orochi is there as well. There’s an annoyed crease in her brow Kamui knows all too well from all the times he and Corrin tried to steal her cards to play seer when they were children. He realizes he kind of disappeared on her earlier today, following a Nohrian stranger into the woods shortly after she told him of her foreboding premonition and reminded him to be careful. Kamui gulps. He’s probably in for a lecture.

Camilla’s already halfway out the gazebo when she pauses and turns around. “Ah, but Kamui?” She says, flashing him a brilliant smile. “If your sister’s antics end up hurting my darling little brother, I will have her head on a plate.” 

Then she’s gone.

 

\----

 

Corrin runs a finger over the wooden surface of another crate. It leaves a shallow trace in the thin layer of dust and comes away slightly grey.

She wipes it on her shirt. She can't really fault the servants for slacking on their dusting duties up here - they couldn't possibly have known that one of their guests would take an impromptu tour around the attic.

But here she is, in an oversized storage chamber with slanted walls and heavy wooden beams, and piles of crates so high she can’t quite make out where the door she entered through has disappeared to.

Well, that might be a bit of an exaggeration. she could probably relocate it if she traced back about ten steps and craned her neck really good to see past that towering wall of boxes, but Corrin would rather _not_. She has spent the better part of her afternoon furiously marching through the estate halls, no direction in mind, trying to shut up all the voices in her head that kept replaying bits and pieces of her conversation with Prince Leo interlaced with all the things she _could_ have said but didn't.

They're mostly petty insults aimed at the prince, but they're all very _good_. Shame she had to try and be civil.

Corrin sighs and lifts the lid off the crate before her to take a peek inside. She finds two rows of neatly folded winter blankets, which might just take the spot of the most boring discovery she made so far, if only by a small margin. Her findings have been very meagre: cutlery, spare servant uniforms, and curtains in about ten different hues of teal. Not that she expected much more from an unlocked storage room, but beggars can't be choosers; and neither can princesses on the run from an arranged engagement, it seems.

And she’s grateful, really, that she found her way here. Because moping in a forgotten room in the estate attic is still preferable to the risk of running into worried retainers, or cranky Nohrian servants, or, Gods forbid, her own fiancé. 

She just wishes those crates would provide the distraction she so desperately needs.

She's just about to lift another lid when she hears a creak from behind a nearby stack, so faint she isn't quite sure she actually heard it. When she rounds the corner to investigate, she expect as number of things: an open window moved by a particularly strong gust of wind, some critter scavenging for food, or perhaps her own overactive imagination playing a trick on her. What she doesn't expect to find is a young woman with dark clothes and even darker eyes, sitting cross-legged among a mess of scattered scrolls and pouches filled with strange herbs.

Corrin stares. The woman stares back, until she falters and looks down at her hands instead, long bangs falling to cover her eyes.

“You should leave.”

Corrin blinks. “What?”

“You should leave,” she repeats, more insistently. She shifts slightly and the wooden floor gives another creak.

Two things occur to Corrin: a) this woman must have been here since long before she entered the room and b) she must have been sitting very, very still to go unnoticed while Corrin roamed around. Corrin would very much like to know what for. “Why? It’s nice in here.”

The woman is irritated, which Corrin can only tell by the way her shoulders tighten up. Her face is still turned away from her. “I’m busy. You’re distracting me.” She pauses. “And I was here first.” That last part comes out more like a question than an argument. She must be aware how absurd it is to raise claim to a dusty old storage chamber.

Corrin gives a low hum and crouches down to take a closer look at the scrolls on the ground, slightly amused when the woman’s hands twitch as if she’s debating pulling them out of her sight. Corrin can make out a mess of scribbled hiragana and kanji intercepted with a number of symbols she’s never seen before. It seems to be some kind of spell, which isn’t all that surprising considering all the herbs and the general air of... eccentricity around the woman, but she can’t even begin to guess what it’s for. 

That what she gets for never taking Orochi up on those magic lessons.

The woman shifts uneasily and Corrin shuffles back to give her some room.  She doesn’t get back up though, just lets herself sink to the ground, careful not to sit on any stray magic supplies. “So, what do they do?” 

The stranger shoots her a dark look before going back to staring down at her hands. Corrin notices that her nails are painted black, the color shining full and rich safe for on her thumbs, where it’s almost completely chipped off. Then suddenly, the woman is _smiling_  at her _,_ except it’s neither particularly warm nor happy. It’s kind of eerie, actually “Dark magic.” She trails a finger over one of the scrolls, slow, deliberate. “Not something you want to come in contact with, I’m sure. So leave.” 

Nice try. Corrin smirks and wills away her unease. “You wouldn’t just _tell_ me if you were practicing dark magic in here.”

She expects another frown, maybe an irritated retort. Instead, she just gets a very deadpan _“Why?”_

Her smirk falters a bit. “You… wouldn’t want anyone to know, right?” No one would want to be taken for a dark mage. The woman just raises an eyebrow and begins digging through one of her pouches, seemingly going back to her work. Corrin takes another look at the mess of scrolls on the ground, the scattered herbs. “And anyways...this doesn’t look like...You know.”

“What, not enough blood sacrifices?” The woman mutters. She has her eyes trained on two stalks of herbs she is untangling from each other, but they keep flickering back to Corrin every so often. “It’s not all…” She trails off, bites her lip and takes a deep breath. “The dark arts are a wide field; far more diverse than you naive fools make them out to be. It's not all curses, and not all spells require innards and sacrifices. Although…” The smile is back, as eerie as before, “the _fun_ ones usually do.” 

Corrin feels a shiver run down her back, but leans in closer anyway. If the woman is still trying to scare her away she’s fighting a losing battle. Corrin’s curiosity has always far outweighed her squeamishness. 

The woman isn’t looking at her though. She’s still working on the herbs, her eyes far less focused now that she’s wrapped up in her explanations. “I mean- What I’m saying is, if you judge a spell by its appearance or ingredients, you’ll most likely end up very dead sooner rather than later. And if you try to judge magic by its type? Even sooner. A big enough fireball to the face kills you just as dead as any dark arcane horrors that slowly, slowly squash your brain to bits or rot out your eyeballs. It’s just not as _elegant_ as-” One of the stems snaps with a crack and the woman pauses. She mutters a curse under her breath and pulls out a small bag from under a stack of scrolls to put the broken plant into.

It takes Corrin a few seconds to realize she isn’t going to continue her explanation. “As elegant as what?”

The woman looks up at her, almost startled. “What?”

“ _It’s just not as elegant_ as what? What were you about to say?”

“You want me to...?” Her eyebrows draw together. She seems thrown off, holding Corrin’s gaze for several moments as if she’s searching for something in her face, before she bristles and looks back down at hear hands. Corrin watches her twist the remaining stem between her fingers, eyes once again hidden behind her hair. “I…don’t remember. I was saying you are a fool, most likely. And that I will curse you if you don’t leave soon.”

The threat rings hollow, and Corrin finds herself smiling, despite all odds. “What’s your name?”

The woman debates that one for a bit, but eventually gives in with a sigh. “Rhajat.”

Corrin grins. “Corrin.”

The woman- no, Rhajat, huffs. “Obviously.” When Corrin shoots her a confused look, she just cocks her head. “They’re selling teacups with your and Prince Leo’s faces on them down in the streets. I don’t think there’s anyone in this city who wouldn’t recognize you.”

 _Teacups_. Corrin feels a shudder run down her spine. She decides to quickly move on to another topic before she can consider that particular mental image any further. Her eyes fall back to the scattered scrolls on the ground. “So, what are you working on?”

“...An enchantment,” Rhajat mutters after a moment of hesitation, seemingly deciding that this is her cue to go back to work. She starts scanning over the ground in front of her until she’s located a tiny pot of ink and a black feather.

Corrin watches her open it, careful not to get any ink on her fingers or the scrolls. She kind of wants to hear her talk about magic again. “What for?”

Rhajat stays silent at that, staring down at the feather in her hand contemplatively, eyes dark and unreadable. After a moment that stretches on long enough Corrin is almost certain she’s not getting an answer for this one, Rhajat shrugs. “Cabbages.”

Corrin blinks. Then she bursts out laughing. Her giggles bounce strangely off the slanted walls of the storage chamber and fill the whole room. By the time she’s calmed back down, Rhajat is huddled over one of her scrolls, busily writing something in the margins, but Corrin is pretty sure she can make out the remains of a smirk at the corner of her lips.

She wants to probe further, she really does, but Corrin watches the mage pause and scrunch up her eyebrows, scanning over the paper with great concentration, and she can’t quite find it in her to bother her any more than she already has. 

She rests her back against a crate and watches her silently. After a minute or so, Rhajat begins shifting uneasily under her gaze, so she lets herself sink to the ground instead, hands behind her head, and watches the tiny specs of dust dance in the air above her.

She isn’t good at it though. At the whole lying around and doing nothing thing. Because her thoughts keep inevitably wandering back down to that light-flooded parlor and Prince Leo all black and dour. And then further, out into the streets to the people waiting there, putting all their hope into a paper-thin love story and buying teacups with pictures of strangers on them. And she grows restless. She feels her fingers tap a frantic rhythm against her lap and wills them into stillness, just to lose her grip on them a few seconds later.

It’s not fair. Two tiny people can’t sway two entire countries. Not even if they actually were in love. And certainly not like this. It’s not fair and-

Corrin hears something rustle to her right and realizes Rhajat has gotten up from her position on the floor. She’s probably had enough of Corrin shuffling and wringing her hands. She’ll try to make her leave again, and Corrin will have to give up on this hideout once and for all, going back to roaming the halls and ducking into doorways the moment she sees anything vaguely Nohrian-shaped. But Rhajat stays silent, and when she turns her head, the mage is already sitting back down. There’s two small baskets on the floor next to Corrin’s ear though, one of them is empty, the other one filled with tiny leaves. 

“If you’re just going to lie around here like a decaying corpse, you can at least help me,” Rhajat mutters by way of explanation, not looking up from the scroll she is currently absorbed in. There’s a smear of dark ink across her cheek. “Check those leaves. They might have gotten damaged on the way here. If any of them have started wilting, sort them out.”

Corrin takes one of the leaves and twist it between her fingers. It’s thick with leathery green skin, unlike anything Corrin’s seen in the capital. Its surface is scratched on the back, so she puts it away into the second basket and picks up the next one.

She works herself slowly through the contents of the basket like this. The task is monotone, but requires just enough concentration to keep her fingers still and her thoughts from wandering, and Corrin wonders if perhaps that was Rhajat’s goal to begin with; if she noticed Corrin worrying and decided to keep her busy with this. It seems unlikely, but then again, the mage has been nothing but surprises so far.

She watches her out of the corner of her eyes and finds Rhajat glancing at her every now and then. Her expression is torn between interest and distrust, as though she can’t quite decide whether this Hoshidan Princess that barged into her hideout is helping her sort leaves out of the kindness of her heart, or whether it’s all an intricate act to keep an eye on a possibly dangerous dark mage.

It’s neither, but Corrin doesn’t bother pointing that out. She stays silent, watching the mage draw increasingly intricate patterns on a yellowed piece of parchment, and sends a wordless prayer to whatever Divine Dragon blessed her with a distraction that intriguing hidden among all those forgotten crates and boxes.

Corrin can’t tell how long they work in silence, but she knows that when they’re interrupted, the sunlight falling in through the slanted windows has already begun travelling up the stacks of crates and wooden beams. She doesn’t really get time to process the fact though, because someone is calling her name out in the hallway, their voice faint but urgent. Corrin goes very still and faintly registers Rhajat across from her doing the same. They wait, and the voice repeats, closer this time. Corrin realizes it belongs to Orochi, which is surprising, since technically Kaze should be the one looking for her. It doesn’t really help her situation though. Orochi may not have the skills of a ninja, but she’s still impressively good at tracking people down, and worst of all, very unlikely to give up. Either way, Corrin already sees herself being dragged off to some kind of social function. It’s probably too early still for dinner, so maybe a nice cup of evening tea with a bunch of people she doesn't want to talk to. Or maybe a stern lecture for her earlier behavior. 

Corrin stays silent. There’s a very, very slim chance the diviner will overlook this old storage room, or maybe not bother to check behind all the crates. 

Rhajat shifts beside her and the floor gives a creak. Corrin darts around and is ready to glare her into silence, but then she notices Rhajat’s eyes, flickering nervously between the scrolls on the floor. Her hands twitch, but she seems to realize it’s pointless to try and gather them all up before Orochi bursts in here. 

Corrin wonders what will happen if Orochi finds them here like this. She could probably explain the situation, as far as she understands it herself, but the diviner wouldn’t be pleased. At the very least, she’d insist on looking into whatever Rhajat is working on, or maybe report her to the staff. It would be the sensible course of action faced with a stranger practicing dark magic in their attic. Corrin sighs.

“Shit,” Rhajat mutters, barely under her breath. She’s gnawing at her thumbnail, chipping away more of the black paint. “Father will be-” Corrin stops her with a finger laid against her lips. She goes very still. 

Corrin smiles as the mage looks up at her through wide eyes. “This was nice. We should do it again,” she whispers. "Stay in here for a bit longer, alright? Orochi will probably want to lecture me before she drags me off to wherever she need me to be." Then she gets up and makes her way to the door, past dusty crates and beams, feeling Rhajat’s gaze on her back all the way.

She pulls the door closed behind her. Orochi is standing only a few paces away, her hand on the handle of another door Corrin knows to be locked from her own experience earlier. Orochi is clearly startled at her sight, and Corrin starts mentally coming up with excuses. _I was just wandering around. I grew tired and took a nap in this old storage room. Nothing to see there._ But then Orochi rushes up to her and grabs her by the arms, and Corrin sees her expression, stern with a hint of franticness just below the surface. “Corrin. You- You’ll want to come with me.”

“What-”

“There was an accident- the wyvern, it...” Orochi shakes her head, tugs at her arm until Corrin stumbles forward, following her down the hall. Her legs feel numb. “Hinoka and Kaze have been hurt, Corrin.”

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am (mostly) sorry to leave you on another cliffhanger, but the chapter was getting kind of long and this seemed like an awfully convenient place to end it.
> 
> Also, I want to thank you once again for all your comments and kudos. I know I'm not very good at responding to comments (I get kind of nervous), but believe me when I say that they make me ridiculously happy, and I'll try to respond to any questions that I get (in a non-spoilery fashion).
> 
> Also, you can still come and hang with me on tumblr at https://librarypigeon.tumblr.com if you'd like. I'm hoping to post some new fates doodles over winter break.


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